Chapter Ten
We got dressed and slipped out of the room before Elissa could complain too much, and then we joined Ako and Caelia in the common area. I explained my plan, and the four of us got to work. I left word for the two sleeping girls to stick together, and I encouraged them to get their beauty sleep while they could. We would all have a late night, and I wanted my ladies to be well-rested. The rest of us could take a nap later before the real fun began.
My next step in my plan would be memorizing the rotation of soldiers who guarded the duke’s son, but with the multiple helpers at my back, it was an easy task. It would have taken me a countless number of lifetimes to do it on my own, but we managed to tackle it in one.
By the time we reconvened at the inn, Elissa and Eva were awake and patiently waiting for our return. The two had stayed busy by cleaning all of our armor, and a pile of dirty rags littered the floor of the room I’d rented. Once I’d explained what was going on, they were more than eager to help, so we all gathered around to share the information we’d learned so far.
“They keep a tight perimeter at all times,” Ako informed me. “They switch guards every two hours, though, so we won’t have much time before our chosen soldier is missed.”
“The servants are pretty tight-lipped,” Mahini supplied with a disappointed sigh. “But then again, I don’t have your way with people. I’m sorry I don’t have more to provide.”
“It’s alright,” I reassured her. “If anything, I can redo it later.”
“Redo it?” The desert goddess flashed me a confused look.
“Never mind,” I chuckled, but then I turned to Caelia. “How about you? Did you find out anything for me?”
“I checked around with some of the food vendors,” the shopkeeper said in a low voice, but she grew louder as she gained confidence. “It took me most of the morning, but I found out which one supplies the Garden Inn with their produce. It seems they have been going through more supplies than normal, and the vendor is having to make extra deliveries.”
“Well, Exavier is leaving town in the morning,” I said. “So, I don’t think they will be eating very many more meals at the inn, but good job, Caelia. Thank you.”
“I did speak to one servant girl,” Mahini said suddenly, and her ice-blue eyes were bright. “I almost forgot about it until Caelia mentioned food. She said Lord Exavier takes his meals separately from his men, and that he has a man taste it first to make sure it isn’t poisoned.”
“Interesting.” I scratched my beard as I thought this over. “Did you manage to catch the servant’s name?”
“Suzyne, I believe,” the desert goddess supplied. “But I’m not sure how that helps.”
“Have faith.” I grinned. “Remember who you’re working with.”
Mahini dipped her head with a bashful smile, and my grin spread even wider. It was challenging to get a reaction from the tanned beauty, so it was always a pleasure to make her smile.
“What can we do to help?” Elissa stuck out her bottom lip in an adorable pout. “I’m not helpless just because I’m pregnant, you know.”
“The thought hadn’t even crossed my mind,” I said. “And I have just the task for you and Eva.”
“Oh, yes, please,” my fiancée gasped. “Anything, just name it.”
“I am going to need a few things before I can kidnap the duke’s son,” I explained.
“Like what?” Elissa tilted her head to the side, which caused her fiery tendrils to dance. “We have all the supplies we’ve needed.”
“I’ll need you to get me some more rope,” I said. “And something to use as a gag and a blindfold. I can’t have the dipshit seeing where we are taking him.”
“We can handle that,” Eva assured me.
“Definitely.” Elissa nodded emphatically.
“We need to be ready to move at sundown,” I informed my companions in a serious tone. “Exavier is leaving first thing in the morning, so we need to act tonight.”
“Where are we taking the lord?” Ako asked. “Not back here to this inn?”
“Hmm,” I murmured. I didn’t want to admit to not having thought that far, but that was what a reset button was good for. I would just have to go back and do better in the next run through. “Where do you think we should take him?”
“I figured the god would know,” the shapeshifter replied as he studied me skeptically.
“Bash is merely testing you,” Mahini interjected in a clipped tone.
“Exactly.” I nodded.
“Oh.” Ako raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Well… Maybe there is an abandoned storehouse, or a dilapidated structure of some kind where no one will be likely to walk in on us having a nice friendly conversation with the most widely known man in town.”
I sensed some sarcasm in his tone, but I didn’t blame him, and I was already eager to reset back to my save point to redo this whole conversation.
Chime.
I greeted Mahini, and the two of us went downstairs to the common area. This time, I didn’t need them to comb the streets for information, or to help me learn the shift changes of the guards, so I opted for a leisurely breakfast during this run through.
I was still enjoying my delicious food when Eva and Elissa emerged from their rooms, and I flashed the two beauties a broad smile as they approached.
“Come and join us,” I urged. “Lissy, you’re eating for two now, so be sure to get plenty for yourself.”
“You’re so adorable in the mornings,” Eva informed me with a wink, and she trailed her fingers across the nape of my neck before she took a seat at my side. “Thanks for letting us sleep in. I’m surprised you’re not off on a side mission already.”
“Oh, I’ve done plenty of that.” I smirked. “But I have time to hang out and eat breakfast with everyone.”
“What do you have up your sleeve, Bash?” Elissa asked with a mischievous twinkle in her emerald eyes. “Anything I can help with?”
“I want you to take it easy,” I said, and my brow furrowed with concern. “Did you have the sickness this morning?”
“I did.” Elissa shrugged. “But it’s not as bad as it was. I just have to stay in bed a little later than usual.”
“Later than usual for you?” I cocked my eyebrow. “Or for the rest of us?”
“Very funny.” Elissa nudged her shoulder against mine, and then she took a seat beside Evangeline.
“But, seriously, Bash,” Eva said as she leveled me with her smoky-gray eyes. “What is the plan for the day?”
“Is everyone ready?” I glanced around the table at my companions. “I can wait until we finish eating.”
“Out with it,” Mahini urged in a serious tone.
“What she said,” Elissa added with a nod.
“I believe we are all curious about what is expected of us this day,” Ako said as his tail flicked back and forth behind him.
“Today is the hard work,” I explained. “But tonight will be when the fun happens.”
“Are we going to party?” Caelia asked in a small voice.
Everyone burst out laughing, and the timid shopkeeper looked around in confusion.
“When Bash is concerned,” Eva informed her in a conspiratorial tone. “Fun usually means an adventure of some kind.”
“I like adventure,” Caelia said, and she lifted her chin at a proud angle.
“We weren’t laughing at you, Caels,” Elissa assured her, and the red-haired beauty reached across the table to clasp Caelia’s hand. “You’ll learn how things go with Bash soon, don’t worry, and until then, we’ll be here to help you along the way.”
“I really appreciate all of you welcoming me so much,” Caelia replied, and she dipped her head bashfully.
“You mentioned some hard work,” Ako said, which brought the conversation back to the matter at hand. “What does that entail?”
“Nothing too major.” I scratched my beard as I thought about what all I wanted to accomplish during this run through. “We need to get some rope, a gag, and a blindfold. Then we need to comb the city and the surrounding area for a good place to take someone where we won’t be seen or heard for the rest of the night.”
“That doesn’t sound too hard,” Eva observed.
“Elissa and Caelia, you two get the bindings we need.” I nodded to the two women before I turned to the rest of my companions. “The rest of us will split off into pairs to search for a good location.”
“What are we using these bindings and this secret location for?” Mahini asked.
Under different circumstances, getting bindings, gags, and blindfolds before going off to a secret location would be a completely different kind of fun, but I doubted Mahini or the others would understand the beauty of bondage. Still, it was an idea worth exploring with them more later, but for now, I had a duke’s son to kidnap.
“We are going to ask Lord Exavier a few questions,” I informed them. “He doesn’t know where his dad is, but his brothers do, and he might know where they are. In any case, it's the best lead we’ve gotten so far, and I’m not going to let it slip past me.”
Mahini nodded curtly to show her understanding, but she pursed her lips into a thin line instead of responding.
“We have your back, Bash,” Eva said.
“Definitely,” Elissa added.
“I will do my part,” Caelia assured me.
“I’ve never kidnapped a duke’s son before,” Ako mused. “Would it be considered kidnapping if he’s a grown man? I suppose duke’s son napping doesn’t have the same ring to it.”
“Lordnapping?” I suggested with a shrug.
“That’s better.” Ako nodded.
“I do what I can.” I grinned. “Now, everyone should finish your breakfasts before we begin our day. We’ll be up late tonight, so we might need to get some sleep this afternoon before we begin the final stage of the plan.”
“How do we find this duke’s son?” Ako asked. “My apologies for all the questions, I’m less familiar with your abilities than the ladies are.”
“Forgive me for not explaining better,” I said. “Exavier is staying in the Garden Inn, and he’s surrounded by soldiers constantly. I’m going to borrow one of their uniforms so I can infiltrate the building and get to Exavier’s room. We will only have two hours to get in and out before the soldiers change guard shifts, but that should be plenty of time for me to handle the duke’s son.”
“We should have a word to signal if there’s trouble,” Ako said, and his honey-colored eyes twinkled with mischief. “I like the word you use in reference to the duke sometimes, what did you say again… Oh, yes, I remember. Daddy.”
“You want daddy to be our safe word?” I snorted in amusement.
“I don’t see why not.” Ako tilted his head to the side, and his tail swayed back and forth. “I had never heard anyone use the term before.”
“Fair enough.” I shook my head and tried my hardest to keep from laughing. “Daddy it is. So, if anyone encounters any trouble, just yell out daddy, and I’ll come running as fast as I can.”
“What do we do if you yell the code word?” Mahini asked with a furrowed brow.
“Hmm.” I waggled my eyebrows in a teasing manner. “Run like hell?”
“Not funny.” Mahini swatted my shoulder. “I’d obviously come to save you, Bash.”
“I know,” I chuckled. “But I vow to never put you in the situation where you’d have to save me. I’m the god, after all.”
“Good.” Mahini nodded her approval.
“I bet I will be the one to find the perfect location for our… questions.” Ako grinned.
“Oh, yeah?” I chuckled. “Are you challenging a god, Ako?”
“Maybe.” The cat-man shrugged. “Are you up for it, Sir Bash?”
“Let’s do it.” I smirked.
A short while later, the six of us had split up into pairs to accomplish everything we needed before the kidnapping that night. Elissa and Caelia went out in search of bindings and a blindfold while Eva teamed up with Ako, which left me and Mahini together. The desert goddess and I went to the stables to get our horses first since we could explore Kassar much more efficiently from horseback, and I was determined to win the challenge against the shapeshifter.
After we’d saddled and mounted our horses, the two of us set out to comb the outskirts of town. I’d left the inner city to Ako and Eva, but I hoped we found multiple possibilities so I could pick the best option. While I wanted to beat the shapeshifter to the punch, getting the information we needed from Exavier was more important.
Mahini and I rode through the poorest section of Kassar first, but the area was so populated, people in dirty ragged clothes were pouring onto the streets from every direction before we turned into the district. I had a feeling we wouldn’t find what we were looking for in that area, but I needed to rule it out. I could always reset once I already had a place in mind, so I just needed to keep looking.
We combed through the streets, but every structure was either too close to something with lots of foot traffic, or looked too run down to safely enter. When we’d gone through all the outskirts, I decided to venture outside the city walls in hopes of finding an abandoned farm.
“There could be a cave nearby,” Mahini said in a hopeful tone as she scanned the landscape with her piercing blue gaze. “I sheltered in one during my travels from the Kotar Desert.”
“A cave would be perfect.” I nodded. “Let’s see what we can find.”
We started at one gate leading out of Kassar, and we began to comb the desert landscape for any signs of a cave. The two of us continued our search for hours, and we had to stop several times to take swigs from the water skin. A short while later, I was surprised when we stumbled onto a small opening in the rocky hills Kassar was built upon, and Mahini and I exchanged a grin before we ventured closer to the entrance.
Mahini dismounted her mule, Warrior, in one fluid motion. Then she grabbed a torch from her saddlebags, withdrew her sword, and nodded to show her readiness.
I was by her side in a few short steps, and I pulled my feather sword free from its scabbard before I led the way inside the cave. The entrance was big enough for me to walk into without ducking, and it opened up into a sizable cavern.
Mahini held the torch high, and the two of us turned in circles as we looked around the space.
“I think it’s perfect,” I observed. “Ha! I beat Ako.”
“You did indeed, my love,” Mahini replied with a wry smirk. “Let’s get back and inform them.”
“Meh, there’s no need to spend the time riding back into town when I could just reset back to my save point.” I grinned at the desert goddess. “See you on the flip side.”
I enjoyed her expression of utter confusion as I reset with a wave of my will, but then the familiar tingling sensation was washing over me.
Chime.
“Good morning, Bash,” Mahini’s sultry voice said from behind me. “You’re not trying to sneak off without me, now are you?”
“Never,” I chuckled as I turned around. “Except when I need you to stay behind to keep others safe.”
“It’s too early,” Elissa groaned right on cue. “Come back to bed, Bash.”
“I wish I could, my love,” I said with an apologetic smile. “But I’m too excited to lay down.”
“Oh?” That woke Elissa up, and the beautiful redhead sat upright in bed, which caused the bedsheets to slide away from her perfectly perky breasts. They had grown some since I’d last looked closely, but the medicine woman had said that would happen.
“Let’s go have breakfast with the others,” I suggested. “Ako and Caelia are waiting for us, but Eva is still asleep.”
“I will never get tired of listening to you make your predictions,” Elissa said.
“They’re always right, too,” Mahini said in a proud voice.
“What else would you expect from a god?” I teased.
“Nothing but amazing feats and strange ways of speaking,” Elissa offered.
The three of us laughed, but I urged the two beauties to get dressed when our merriment subsided. A short while later, all six of us were seated around the table in the common area, and I was able to explain my plan again.
This time, however, I already had a location in mind, so all we needed was the restraints. Once I explained this, Elissa eagerly volunteered, and I couldn’t resist the tiny goddess’ desire to be helpful. I made a mental note to check and see how she was feeling later when we were alone, but she seemed to be in good spirits. I wanted more than anything to keep my pregnant wife safely distant from the danger, but I didn’t want to make her feel left out, either.
After I explained my plan, we split up to search for the bindings, but Elissa was indeed the first to locate what was needed. I’d stayed with my wife during this run through, and we purchased rope from a store before stopping at the seamstress for some fabric to use as the gag and blindfold.
“Some things don’t have to be difficult,” Elissa observed in a pleased tone as she piled our purchases up in my arms. “Now, we have the rest of the day to enjoy.”
“I love your outlook,” I chuckled. “What do you have in mind?”
“A nap for starters,” Elissa snorted. “I’m exhausted already. I swear, this baby growing thing is no joke.”
“You’re doing a fantastic job,” I assured her with a grin.
“Let’s get back to the inn,” my wife suggested. “I’m sure the others aren’t back yet.”
“Yeah, you found everything really fast,” I complimented. “When you set your sights on something, you go all out. I can only imagine the same will be true for motherhood.”
We hurried back to the inn, and the others were nowhere to be seen. Elissa and I deposited our purchases at the foot of the bed, and then we climbed beneath the sheets. A nap was a good idea since we’d be up late, so I snuggled Elissa against me and tried to get some sleep.
When I woke up, the sun had set beyond the horizon, and the room was dark. I slipped out of bed and began to light some candles, but then I heard Elissa’s groan from the bed.
“Five more minutes,” she requested in a sleepy voice.
“Are you sure you’re up for tonight, Lissy?” I asked as worry creased my brow. “You could always hang back just to be safe.”
“I’m going with you,” she confirmed in a voice muffled by a pillow.
“Okay, okay,” I laughed. “I just had to check first. Are you feeling okay other than being tired?”
“Yes.” Elissa sat up and gave me an emphatic nod as she rubbed her abdomen affectionately. “I’m happy, Bash, and well. Don’t worry about us.”
“Us?” I asked, but then I realized she was referring to the baby, and my heart swelled in my chest.
Elissa watched the realization strike, and she gave me a knowing smile.
The idea of being a father was still new to me, but it was something I was looking forward to more than I expected. Being madly in love with Elissa made me extra worried about her health and safety, but I had to trust her to know her body best.
A short while later, we rejoined the rest of our companions downstairs, and we went over the plan one more time. Then I made a new save point before we left the inn, and we headed out into the shadowy streets of Kassar. Our first stop was the stables, and we all quickly saddled our horses before we led them out of the stalls.
The streets were deserted as we made our way to the Garden Inn, which I was grateful for, and it didn’t take us very long to reach our destination. We circumvented the street where I knew the soldiers would be posted, and we took the long way around the neighboring restaurant to the alley behind the businesses. We tied the horses up to a fence post, and then we continued on into the darkness on foot.
Step one was to get a uniform to disguise myself.
We made our way through the alley, but we slowed our steps as we approached the guard at the other side. I motioned for the others to wait, and then I crept forward in full stealth mode. The soldier had his back to the alley just as I expected he would, but that just made it easy for me to sneak up on him.
I grabbed him from behind and ripped off his helmet so I could access his mouth, and then I held my palm over his lips to stifle his yells. I made sure to cover his nose, too, but I had to be careful not to kill him. The second he was unconscious, I released my hand and lowered him to the ground.
The others joined me a moment later, and they assisted me with removing the armor and uniform from the soldier. The guard muttered something, but then Ako smacked him on the top of his head with the hilt of a dagger, and the man fell still once more. A moment later, I was disguised as a soldier with the Edinburg crest emblazoned upon my breastplate, and I was ready for the next phase of my plan.
“You guys wait here,” I said, and I gestured to the window above our heads that led to the duke’s son’s room. “I’ll be coming from that direction, so be ready.”
“We will be.” Ako nodded. “Go get ‘em.”
“I’ll be back before you know it,” I said, and I planted a quick kiss on my three women’s foreheads. Then I trotted out of the alley and around the building to the entrance.
Two soldiers stood guard at either side of the entrance the same as before, and I waved as I approached them. I had my save point ready just in case, but I’d already talked my way past them once, so I knew I could do it again.
“Halt.” The guard to the right of the door held up his hand to stop me, and I stopped halfway up the steps.
“I’m on my way to bed,” I lied. “I have a watch shift again in a few hours, so you’re cutting into my sleep time.”
“Then why are you going into the inn?” the soldier asked. “Get back to your cot in the barracks.”
“I need to grab something,” I said. “I forgot one of my weapons inside earlier.”
“If you wake the lord, you’ll have hell to pay,” the soldier warned me, but then he lowered his hand and gestured for me to enter. “Be quick about it, you hear?”
“I will.” I grinned, but they couldn’t see my face beneath the soldier’s helmet I wore.
I entered the inn with a grin still stretched across my face, and I glanced around the dimly lit interior. I needed to find the servant girl who had the key to the duke’s son’s room, so I headed toward the sleeping quarters. There wasn’t anyone around in the common area, but it was late at night, so they were probably all sleeping.
As I made my way down the hallway lined with doors, I tested the handles as quietly as I could. Most of them were unlocked, and I peeked inside one at a time in search of the woman who’d previously given me the key. I eventually found her in a room with three other women, and the servant girl shared a bed with one of them. She laid against the wall with her bedmate sleeping on the edge, but I didn’t think she’d go to bed with the key in her pocket, so I glanced around for her apron.
Sure enough, I found it hanging on the bedpost, so I tiptoed across the room and reached into the pocket. My fingers met metal, and I resisted the urge to whoop with joy. I withdrew the key, tucked it in the pocket of my borrowed uniform, and then quietly made my exit from the servant’s bed chamber.
Then I made my way up the stairs, and I was almost to the top when my foot brushed against something. The sound of something snapping echoed through the silence, and the next thing I knew, bells were ringing loudly throughout the inn. Soldiers rushed from the rooms downstairs, and they quickly formed a barrier between me and the front door.
There was a fucking trip wire at the top of the stairs.
I cursed under my breath as I reset back to my save point.
Chime.
My companions and I were leaving the inn once more, and I inhaled a steadying breath before we went to prepare the horses. Then we made our way to the Garden Inn, and a short while later, we were pulling the uniform from the unconscious soldier in the alley. Elissa handed over the bindings, and the others wished me luck.
“I don’t need luck.” I grinned, but they couldn’t see my face beneath the soldier’s helmet. “I’m a god, remember?”
I made my way to the front door disguised as one of Edinburg’s men, and I repeated the dialogue tree that allowed me access to the interior. I went straight to the woman with the key’s room, and I retrieved it from her apron without incident.
When it came time to climb the stairs, I was more careful during this run through, and I inspected the steps closely. Strung from the rails on either side of the top step was a thin wire, and I followed its path to a hole in the wall.
I chuckled to myself as I stepped carefully over the wire, and I released my breath when I was safely on the other side, but then I turned my attention to the hallway. If there was one trap, there was likely to be more, so I would have to tread carefully.
It was difficult to see in the dim light, so I summoned a small flame to the palm of my hand. A few paces ahead, the firelight glinted off metal, and as I got closer, I realized it was a bear trap.
It was hard to believe this spoiled lord had set up bear traps outside his bedroom. How paranoid did someone have to be? Of course, my very presence in the inn proved they were necessary. I was attempting to kidnap the most well-known man in town, after all.
I debated on whether or not I should disarm the trap or avoid it altogether, but I ended up going with the second option. I didn’t want to cause any unnecessary noises that could potentially alert the soldiers sleeping downstairs, so I treaded carefully around the metal circle.
I found three more bear traps set up at odd angles down the length of the hallway, but after locating the first one, they were easy to spot.
“Here I come, Exavier,” I murmured as I drew closer to the duke’s son’s bedchamber.
Once I reached his door, I pulled the key from my pocket and slid it into the lock. The handle turned in my grasp, but it creaked way louder than I hoped it would. I was on the home stretch, though, so I crept into the room and closed the door behind me. I clicked the lock shut again, and a devilish grin spread across my face as I turned toward the sleeping lord.
Exavier was tucked beneath the blankets with a serene look upon his face. What a shame I was about to ruin his peaceful slumber and throw him into a world of terror.
Not.
I crept across the room toward the bed, and I had the gag in my hand at the ready. Then I stepped on something hard and metal, and the jaws of a bear trap closed around my ankle. The teeth dug into the flesh of my foot, and I groaned in pain.
“Fuck,” I growled as I stared down at the bear trap gripping my leg. “What the fuckkk.”
Exavier sat bolt upright in bed at the sound of my voice, and I sighed.
“Sorry, dude, premature kidnapping.” I shook my head. “I’ll be back. Don’t wait up for me.”
Then I reset back to my save point yet again.
Chime.
We got the horses prepared, knocked out the soldier in the alley, and removed his uniform. Armed with the bindings, I made my way inside, and I quickly retrieved the key from the servant’s quarters before I made my way upstairs.
I avoided the trip wire, dodged the bear traps in the hallway, and made it to the door to Exavier’s room. Then I once again tiptoed inside and closed the door behind me. This time, however, I made sure to scan the floor for traps before I crossed the distance to the bed. There were three more traps surrounding the duke’s son, and I shook my head in amazement at his well-founded paranoia.
I managed to make it to the bed without setting off any of the traps or waking up Exavier, so I took a second to catch my breath before I moved onto the final phase of my kidnapping plan.
Then I grabbed his ugly sleeping face in my left hand, and I squeezed his cheeks until his mouth opened. I shoved the gag in his mouth in the same instant his eyes flew open with a look of horror, and I grinned as I realized he saw me as one of his men.
“Ggggrrg.” Exavier’s voice was successfully muffled by the gag, but he thrashed in my grasp, and his fist connected with the back of my head.
I clenched my jaw as I saw stars in my vision from the metal helmet colliding with the back of my skull, but I managed to keep hold of the duke’s son.
That didn’t last long, though, and he broke free from me in my next breath.
“Son of a bitch,” I cursed, and I leapt on top of him.
Exavier moved as quick as lightning, and he pulled two deadly sharp daggers from beneath his pillow in the same moment I straddled his chest.
The duke’s son buried the blades in my armpits where the armor pieces connected, and the metal folded beneath the pressure of his hit. Heat and pain laced through me from all sides, and my vision faded to black around the edges.
The last thing I saw was Exavier wrenching the weapons free, and then to my shock and surprise, the duke’s son licked my blood from the edge of his blade.
Did this creepy motherfucker just kill me?
It felt like I’d been drenched in gasoline and then set on fire, but I didn’t tolerate the pain for long.
Chime.
It had been a long time since someone had actually managed to kill me, and I set my chin at a determined line as I left the inn with my companions once more. I was grateful they were ignorant to the finer details of my powers since I didn’t want to burden them with the painful experiences I’d had.
We saddled the horses, knocked out the soldier, borrowed his uniform, and then I stole the key and made my way upstairs. I passed the traps, unlocked Exavier’s door, and made my way carefully to his bed.
I debated making a new save point, but I didn’t want to get myself stuck in a tricky situation, and I could always call off the mission with the way it currently stood, so I decided against it.
This time, I was prepared for Exavier’s sharp blades, and I removed them from beneath his pillow before I grabbed his face to shove the gag inside his mouth.
The duke’s son woke up with wide, fearful eyes, and he struggled in my grasp as I attempted to bind his arms together. Then he managed to spit out the gag, and I cursed as I reached to catch it.
“Guards!” Exavier shouted before I managed to stifle his voice again.
“Motherfucker,” I groaned as I reset back to my save point.
Chime.
For what was beginning to feel like the hundredth time, we saddled the horses, knocked out the soldier, borrowed his uniform, stole the key, and then I made my way upstairs. I passed the traps, unlocked Exavier’s door, and made my way carefully to his bed.
Exavier was a slippery little fucker, but I was determined to get him quietly out of the inn to the cave. It was proving to be more of a challenge than I’d expected, but I knew I could conquer every obstacle with enough retries.
This time, I removed the daggers, cut a piece of rope long enough to wrap around his head, and then I tied the gag in place with the rough string. Exavier awoke in a fright, and he thrashed against me in what was now a predictable fashion. It was much easier to keep him locked in my grasp since I had a better idea of how he moved, so it only took me a few more minutes to get his wrists bound together.
Once he was secured, I took a deep breath before I moved on to hog tying his legs together. Exavier struggled and fought against the restraints, but it was no use. The gag was firmly in place, the knots were holding, and he was officially my prisoner.
“Shhh, it’s all going to be fine. Enjoy the ride.” I grinned beneath the helmet as I placed the blindfold over his eyes.
“Ggggrrr,” came the muffled reply.
I ignored his angry response and carefully bypassed a bear trap on my way to the window. Then I pushed open the glass and waved to my companions in the alley down below. When they waved back, I moved on to the next part of my plan.
The great escape.
I scanned the room for something to tie the remaining length of rope onto, and I opted for the heavy wooden wardrobe that filled almost an entire wall. I lashed the rope onto the foot of the cabinet, and I double-checked the knot to make sure it was secure. I wasn’t sure if it was going to work, but I could always reset and try again if it didn’t.
Once the rope was securely attached, I flung the other end of it out the window. Then I hauled the bound lord up onto my shoulder before I began to plan my climb out the window. This was going to test my strength and agility, but I was lucky the duke’s son was a wisp of a man. He was so light it made me wonder when he last ate, but I brushed those thoughts aside.
“Is he seriously climbing down with the lord on his back?” Ako’s surprised voice floated up from beneath me.
I ignored everything for a moment as I situated the duke’s son more comfortably across my back, and then I positioned myself at the windowsill before I began to carefully lower myself down. The wardrobe started to slide across the wooden floor from the pressure of my weight, and the rope jumped lower a couple of inches. The motion caused Exavier to whine and shift on my back, and I groaned from the effort it took to maintain my grip.
“Bash, be careful,” came Evangeline’s worried voice, and I didn’t need to look down to know she had a concerned frown on her beautiful face.
I inched down with one foot at a time against the side of the building, and it felt like an eternity passed while I dangled from the rope from the window of the inn. Then my feet touched the ground, and I let out a sigh of relief.
The hardest part was over.
“Hmpgh,” the duke’s son said in a strangled voice, but I ignored him and instead turned to greet my companions.
“I can’t believe you just did that,” Elissa gushed with wide emerald eyes.
“Believe it, babe,” I replied, and then I dropped the duke’s son heavily to the ground.
Exavier hit the dirt of the alley with a loud thud, and he moaned as loudly as he could through the gag.
“That was amazing,” Caelia breathed.
“I thought you were going to lower Exavier down first,” Mahini said.
“He could have been injured from the fall,” Eva pointed out. “You both could have been badly hurt, Bash.”
“I’m fine,” I assured her. “And so is Exavier.”
“We don’t have much time before the soldiers switch,” Ako reminded me. “Let’s get him to the horses.”
“Here,” Mahini said. “I’ll grab his legs, you two grab his shoulders.”
The desert goddess, Ako, and I all grabbed a section of Exavier, and we hauled him down the alley to where we’d tied the horses. Elissa, Eva, and Caelia followed behind us, and then we all worked together to get Exavier’s now limp body onto Goliath’s back. I lashed him in place with some more rope I’d left in my saddlebags, and I made sure he wouldn’t slip off while we rode.
Once my prisoner was situated across my horse’s rump, I hoisted myself into the saddle. I stole a glance around to make sure we weren’t seen or heard while my companions mounted their steeds, and then I turned Goliath’s head toward the opposite direction. We rode as quietly as we could until we were a safe distance away from the inn, and then we picked up our pace.
Exavier moaned from behind me, but I knew he was securely fastened, so I ignored him.
We rode through the streets of Kassar at a trot, and then we approached the city gates. I nodded to Ako to signal it was time for the next part of our plan, and the shapeshifter returned the gesture before he clicked his tongue to his horse.
The shapeshifter rode ahead of us to the gates, and he slid smoothly from his horse before he’d even come to a complete stop. The two guards who watched the entrance to the city approached the cat-man, and we watched from a safe distance while he told them a tale of miscreants nearby.
I watched while the guards trotted away in the direction Ako was pointing, and once the entrance to the city was left unguarded, my companions and I trotted out into the desert with the duke’s son in tow.
A short while later, we arrived at the cave, and my companions gawked at the inside of the cavern for a long moment.
“This place is perfect, Bash,” Mahini observed. “How did you find it?”
“I’ve always got a couple tricks up my sleeve,” I explained in a vague tone. “I’ll need the rest of you to stand guard while I ask Exavier a few questions.”
“I’ll remove his gag,” Ako offered, and the cat-man crossed the distance to where we’d placed our prisoner.
“You piece of shit!” Exavier screeched as soon as his mouth was free.
“Yeahhh, put the gag back,” I instructed, and Ako obliged.
Thankfully, we were far enough away from Kassar to be overheard by anyone, so I wasn’t worried about the duke’s son being loud, but his voice was unpleasant to the ears.
It was going to be a challenge just to listen to him, but it would be worth it to get a lead.
I took a deep, steadying breath, and I stretched out the tension in my arms and back before I turned back to Exavier.
The duke’s son glared at me with his hazel eyes full of hatred and rage, but I met his gaze with a firm but steady look.
“We’re going to have a nice little chat,” I explained. “And once you’ve told me everything I want to know, then you can go back to your sad, pathetic little life of leeching off those less fortunate.”
Exavier struggled against his restraints as he stabbed into me with his eyes, and a vein on his forehead began to pulse.
“Ah, calm down,” I said. “I’m not going to hurt you… much…”
Exavier screamed beneath his gag, and he thrashed harder than ever.
“So dramatic.” I rolled my eyes. “As long as you comply, then nothing bad will happen. Now, I’m going to remove the gag one more time, but if you misbehave, then you’ll go back in timeout.”
I carefully pulled the gag from his mouth, and to my surprise, he obeyed me.
“Who the fuck do you think you are?” Exavier hissed.
“I’m glad you asked.” I grinned. “I am Sir Sebastian, Archduke of Bastianville, Dragon Slayer, and the God of Time. You may have heard of me?”
I thoroughly enjoyed the look of terror that flooded his hazel eyes, and the quiver of his bottom lip was merely icing on the cake.
Lord Exavier was about to piss his pants because he was scared of me, but he had a good reason. He was about to have a very bad day, but my day was looking full of potential.
The God of Kidnapping had succeeded, and now all I had to do was milk the information I needed from my prisoner.
Easy.